Quantum mechanics may be formulated as SENSIBLE QUANTUM MECHANICS (SQM) so
that it contains nothing probabilistic, except, in a certain frequency sense,
conscious perceptions. Sets of these perceptions can be deterministically
realized with measures given by expectation values of positive-operator-valued
AWARENESS OPERATORS in a quantum state of the universe which never jumps or
collapses. Ratios of the measures for these sets of perceptions can be
interpreted as frequency-type probabilities for many actually existing sets
rather than as propensities for potentialities to be actualized, so there is
nothing indeterministic in SQM. These frequency-type probabilities generally
cannot be given by the ordinary quantum "probabilities" for a single set of
alternatives. PROBABILISM, or ascribing probabilities to unconscious aspects of
the world, may be seen to be an AESTHEMAMORPHIC MYTH. No fundamental
correlation or equivalence is postulated between different perceptions (each
being the entirety of a single conscious experience and thus not in direct
contact with any other), so SQM, a variant of Everett's "many-worlds"
framework, is a "many-perceptions" framework but not a "many-minds" framework.
Different detailed SQM theories may be tested against experienced perceptions
by the TYPICALITIES (defined herein) they predict for these perceptions. One
may adopt the CONDITIONAL AESTHEMIC PRINCIPLE: among the set of all conscious
perceptions, our perceptions are likely to be typical.Comment: LaTeX, 18 pages, September 1995 Erice lecture
